Federer wins in straight sets, advances in French Open

Wednesday

PARIS (AP) — Playing an opponent that had never lost a match at the French Open, Roger Federer made it look easy today by winning 13 straight games from the first set to the third.

The 2009 champion at Roland Garros, despite being broken early in the match, beat French wild card Maxime Teixeira 6-3, 6-0, 6-2 to reach the third round. Teixeira is 1-1 at the French Open after winning his first tour-level match on Sunday.

“He fought hard, and afterwards he was trying to get the best score,” Federer said of his 22-year-old opponent. “The score was balanced for 1½ sets, but even then he fought hard.”

Top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki and 2010 French Open finalist Sam Stosur also advanced to the third round. On the men’s side, No. 7 David Ferrer of Spain made it through.

Later today, Novak Djokovic was scheduled to be back on the court in the second round, as well as 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone.

Federer didn’t face a single break point in his opening match, and Teixeira managed only one today — and he converted it. After the Frenchman held to go to 3-3, Federer dominated and didn’t lose another game until Teixeira made it 4-1 in the third set.

“During 1½ sets, you’re really well focused, and after this you can relax a little at the end of the match. And it was a bit simpler as well at the end,” Federer said. “Now I’m very happy with these types of matches. I can practice more and so on, but now I’m really in the tournament, which is a good thing.”

Federer now will face 29th-seeded Janko Tipsarevic, who beat Pere Riba of Spain 6-1, 6-3, 6-0. Tipsarevic took Federer to five sets in the third round of the 2008 Australian Open, eventually losing 10-8.

“I think he’s a dangerous player on the big courts against the big players. He played really well against these players, so let’s be careful,” Federer said. “Let’s be ready in advance, because he can vary his game on hard courts, on clay as well. He can do all sorts of things.”

Ferrer advanced by beating Julien Benneteau 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. The Spaniard has twice reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, in 2005 and ’08.

Wozniacki beat Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada 6-3, 7-6 (6). The Dane trailed 6-3 in the tiebreaker but won the final five points, saving three set points to reach the third round.

Stosur, who lost to Schiavone in last year’s final at Roland Garros, advanced by beating Simona Halep 6-0, 6-2. The eighth-seeded Stosur had 21 winners and broke her opponent six times before she served out the match at love.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.